Zhao Wei told Cao Ran's invitation, but Zhang did not object, but repeatedly advised: "Don't eat too much wine, remember to eat some vegetables to cushion your stomach before eating, otherwise you will hurt your body." Zhao Wei agreed one by one, and she began to worry again: "You are all young boys, what is it called?" It's just a matter of listening to the excitement, but you are not allowed to call someone to accompany the wine, and you don't have to contaminate something that is not clean. ”

Zhao Wei's face was slightly red: "Look at what you said, this is for Cao Ran's birthday, and there will be a serious family banquet on the second day, although everyone is young, they are all from everyone, and it is impossible not to understand the rules." called a small show, naturally just to listen to the excitement, so what can you do in the big restaurant outside? ”

Zhang was right to think about it, so he didn't mention it anymore.

On Zhao Xiu's side, things will be more complicated. Since Zhao Xiu returned to Beijing, except for the Guangping Mansion and the Cao family, he has hardly socialized outside, let alone this kind of occasion for the same age ladies to gather. Although it is Cao Luo's host, there are many things to pay attention to.

First of all, Zhao Xiu has to worry about dressing up. If you dress mediocrely, you will be ignored; Dressed too outstandingly, and it looks too showy, which is easy to criticize. The most appropriate dress is to be decent and with some novelty. Zhao Xiu felt that the few sets of clothes she had made this winter could be worn, and there was nothing rude about them, but since it was snowing, of course she had to wear a red cloak, and the kind with white furry edges, and she happened to have one. Zhang smiled and said to her: "In the end, he is a child, and he is still at the age of loving red." Anyway, the national filial piety has passed, and it is a birthday celebration, and those who wear red can also get some joy. It's just that you can't just pick the clothes you wear inside. It has to match this big red cloak. Zhao Xiu naturally responded.

Secondly, since it is a poetry club, it is natural to make poetry. After Zhao Xiu crossed. I have been reading with my grandmother for a few years, and I have learned all the poems, I know a lot of allusions, and I am familiar with the rhymes, but somehow, she really has no talent in this area. It's okay to make a limerick, but to make a serious poem. But it always gives people a sense of ingenuity that is piled up with words, as if the poem has been made into a routine. For example, when she made a seven-character poem, how did the first two sentences break the topic. How about the third and fourth jaw couplets, how about the neck couplets of the fifth and sixth sentences, and the last two concluding sentences, which sentence should be opposed. Which sentence should rhyme. Whatever the peace, all according to the book, the clouds to the rain, the snow to the wind, the spring flowers to the autumn moon, the evening to the clear sky, it sounds very neat, but there is always a rigidity.

Zhang has commented on Zhao Xiu's poems several times as "without aura". Zhao Xiu didn't care. She felt that she was able to write poems that looked neat, which was already remarkable. Hengzhu didn't plan to be a poetess, so it's almost enough, right? She is still more interested in calligraphy and painting. Zhang persuaded her a few times, and when he saw that she insisted on doing so, he no longer insisted on it. Anyway, for the girls in the boudoir, it is not very rude to be able to do this kind of Cheng dù when making poems. When he was in Fengxian, Zhao Xiu rarely showed his poetry in girls' parties, but when he needed to show it, he was never laughed at.

However, most of the sisters invited to the poetry club initiated by Cao Luo this time are the daughters of scholarly families, all of whom are familiar with poetry and books, and all of them are very talented. If Zhao Xiu is compared to the last place at that time, it will be a little embarrassing. Zhang's face-to-face teaching to his granddaughter was appropriate, and asked her to prepare a few poems of Yongxue and Yongmei in advance, and remembered the allusions and everything clearly. This is also a common practice for children of wealthy families to participate in poetry meetings, and it is not considered cheating, because those poems are all composed by themselves.

Zhao Xiu looked at Zhang a little awkwardly: "Isn't this okay?" Maybe they don't have these two questions? ”

Zhang said: "Even if it's not these two, it will be a little bit of a side, and it doesn't hurt if you think about a few more songs to spare, just treat it as homework." ”

Zhao Xiu pursed his lips and answered in a low voice.

There is also a third thing to pay attention to, which is to inquire in advance about the names and origins of the ladies participating in the poetry meeting, what their temperament is, and whether there are any taboos. lest Zhao Xiu poke at someone's death hole in a daze, form a grudge, and be at a loss.

This is not troublesome, since Cao Luo wants to be the east, please ask Zhao Xiu to help, and naturally write in the post who invited someone to come. Zhao Xiu told the Zhang family the names and origins of these ladies, and asked her to recall the origins of their respective families and the relationship between relatives and friends, and if there was anything they didn't understand, let people quietly inquire about it.

In the evening, after dark, the people who went out to inquire about the news had already gathered the information and sent it up. Zhao Xiu read it once, and he had a general understanding of the temperament of the girls who would meet tomorrow. Several of them are the daughters of the Fang family, or the ladies of the Fang family's in-laws, all of whom are from scholarly families and do not have a great reputation, but their fathers and brothers are talented, and they are not too difficult to get along with. Combined with Cao Luo's usual casual disclosure, these girls will probably have the usual common problem of being the daughter of a scholarly family - looking down on the girls from the noble generals' families, thinking that they are vulgar and not general. Cao Luo, who has been studying with her mother since she was a child, will become the object of their ridicule. Zhao Xiu wasn't sure if he would also be despised by them, so he could only wait until the day of the poetry meeting to see the situation.

Zhao Xiu began to get busy. She didn't have to bother to prepare for the dress of going out as a guest, and the birthday gift was quickly arranged, and she was busy reading books, such as snow, ice, plum blossoms, winter, cold wind, New Year, spring...... But for all the themes that may be encountered, she has collected commonly used and uncommonly used allusions, and prepared a lot of elegant words in advance, so that she can use them when the time comes. She also tried to write two poems, which were still old and too rigid, but at least they were not bad. Zhao Xiu felt that she should not be embarrassed, so she put her mind at ease and went to practice calligraphy and painting again. If the poems are really better than others, she may be able to make one or two paintings on the spot to save a little face.

Zhao Xiu was busy preparing for the poetry meeting, but Zhao Wei showed a not very happy expression after returning from a small banquet at the East Fourth Pai Lou Restaurant the day before Cao Ran's birthday.

He said to Zhang: "Today in the restaurant, I met Cao Ran's cousin, who is the son of the Fang family's side branch, and brought Wang Weisheng and Wang Tongsheng. He didn't say hello before, I don't know. Cao Ran was also careless. After listening to his cousin say a few good words, he will come forward to make peace with the Wang family brothers for me. I thought that he was a birthday star, and the two Zhao Cao families were good friends. It's not good to give him a look, so he had to drink the wine toasted by the Wang brothers. Afterwards, Wang Weisheng avoided people, and came to thank me for letting Zhao Ze remind them of his words. ”

Zhang was also happy when he heard this: "That's fine." We used to have a very close relationship with the Wang family, don't ruin the friendship between our two families because of the ancestors and grandchildren of the Niu family. ”

Zhao Wei was a little disapproving: "If his family is sensible, don't always accuse us of refusing to help the ancestors and grandchildren of the Niu family, who is impatient to get along with them?" I looked at them as if they understood something. I don't know if there is something wrong with the ancestors and grandchildren of the Niu family, which caused the Wang family to regret it. ”

Zhang Shi was silent for a moment, and sighed: "Bailing has not had any new news for a few days. Tell someone to try at the back door of Wang's house again to see if you can see her. ”

Zhao Xiu was a little worried about another thing: "Since the young master of the Fang family brought the Wang family brothers to congratulate Cao Ran today, will Cao Ran call them to the Cao family's birthday banquet tomorrow?" "Even if Cao Ran doesn't invite you. If his cousin of the Fang family can't figure it out. It is not impossible to bring the two brothers of the Wang family again.

Zhao Wei sighed: "This is naturally inevitable. Today, in front of everyone, although I drank the wine toasted by the Wang brothers, I treated them coldly. If others don't know the inside story, when they go back and inquire, they will know what the two of us have to celebrate. I'm still like this tomorrow, and how many dare to provoke me without a look? Anyway, I'm also a person with a marquis. But my grandmother and sister were at the table in the inner court. It is very likely that you will meet Mrs. Wang, I hope you will not feel embarrassed by each other. ”

Zhang listened. I couldn't help frowning. Zhao Xiu said "sure enough", and said with a smile: "What my brother can use, we can also use." Why don't we wait until tomorrow when we go to Cao's house, and talk to Mrs. Cao, and ask her to arrange our seats farther away from Mrs. Wang? ”

In a blink of an eye, it was Cao Ran's birthday, the sky was beautiful, it snowed the night before, and when I got up early in the morning, the weather was clear, and it was a good day to go out as a guest. And the Cao family wants to invite guests to enjoy plum blossoms, reflecting the snow can also add a bit of scenery.

Zhao Xiu got up early and took care of the housework first, and when she saw that the time was almost up, she changed her clothes, freshened up and went to Zhang's house, waiting for her old man to dress. Zhao Wei ordered a few hand stoves and foot stoves in the carriage, and came to invite his grandmother and sister to leave.

When the three of them arrived at the Cao family, several guests had already come, all of whom were relatives and friends of the Cao family. Because it is a birthday for the juniors, the Cao family did not make a big deal, there are two large tables in the inner courtyard, and there is a small table to entertain the decent big girls around the guests, it is enough, but I don't know how many tables are placed in the outer courtyard. Mrs. Cao didn't call the troupe to come, but invited two female ancestors, who seemed to be quite popular in the capital, and two wives with fresh faces saw them and laughed: "There must be a good joke today." ”

These things have nothing to do with a little girl like Zhao Xiu. Cao Luo was the host in her own yard, opened another seat, and sent a girl to pick up Zhao Xiu early. Zhao Xiu told Zhang's family, and followed the girl to the backyard.

Cao Luo actually does not have her own yard, she lives with Mrs. Cao, Mrs. Cao lives in the main house in the backyard, she occupies three rooms in the west chamber, a few red plum blossoms are planted under the window in front of the door, and now it is the season when the buds are about to bloom, the plum fragrance is refreshing, sitting in front of the window to enjoy the plum, it is really a bit elegant.

Cao Luo was very happy when she saw Zhao Xiu, and pulled her to the house: "You're here, the sisters haven't arrived yet." Although my mother prepared all the things for me, I was always a little uncertain in my heart, for fear that something would go wrong and make people laugh again. When you came, I felt a lot more settled. ”

Zhao Xiu also smiled: "Don't think too much about me." My poetry is only mediocre, but I don't dare to compare with the talented women of the Fang family. Others are hosts, I only care about what to eat and drink, quickly bring out your good tea and snacks for me to see. If it's not good, I don't follow it. ”

Cao Luo suddenly smiled, and her mood relaxed a lot.

She wore a plum red brocade jacket today, a royal blue embroidered horse-faced skirt tied on her lower body, her black hair was combed into a bun, a few golden hairpins were inserted, and her ears were hung with earrings with red coral beads, which were also gorgeous.

Zhao Xiu untied the red cloak and revealed the clothes inside, it was really a coincidence, it turned out to be a red silk jacket, but it was the color of watermelon red, which was originally dyed occasionally by the southern dyeing workshop, and when he saw that this color was rare, he honored the little master according to the custom. She is wearing a tooth-white pleated skirt, red on the top and white on the bottom, combing a double mustache, only a plum hairpin on her head, and pearl earrings, there is no other gold jewelry, the whole person is slim, compared to Cao Luo, and a little more leisurely and super easy.

Cao Luo saw that she was also wearing red today, and her heart was a little more settled, and she was about to talk to her about the family after returning from Xishan Zhuangzi, when she heard that the girls came to report that the cousins had arrived.

Then, Zhao Xiu got up with Cao Luo and ushered in seven or eight guests in front of the door, ranging in age from seventeen to eight years old.

But after entering the house and taking off their cloaks, these girls revealed their clothes, either light blue or jade green, either light yellow or silver white, and the jewelry they wore was also very elegant, which seemed to be full of book fragrance, and the makeup on their faces was also light, but they were so light that they could highlight everyone's exquisite appearance, and that temperament was really needless to say.

Zhao Xiu looked down at the red jackets on himself and Cao Luo, and then looked at the Qingqing Su on the opposite side, and suddenly felt that these ladies might not be compatible with him. (To be continued......)